Kevin Durant is just one of the major injuries looming large in the Lakers-Rockets series.
Jack BaerStaff writerWed, April 22, 2026 at 1:16 AM UTC·2 min readThe Houston Rockets will have Kevin Durant for Game 2 against the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The former MVP missed Game 1 with a knee contusion, but apparently felt good enough pregame on Tuesday to take the court. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka indicated to reporters Durant will not be on a minutes restriction.
It will be the first time Durant has played Lakers star LeBron James in the playoffs since their Golden State Warriors-Cleveland Cavaliers clash in the 2018 NBA Finals. Durant will also be seeking his first playoff win since 2023.
Kevin Durant is on the court going thru his pregame warmup. Appears to be moving well. Ime Udoka will give an update on his status in about 10 minutes. pic.twitter.com/Fa14gKPbkN
Durant’s health became a surprise factor before the series, when he was initially deemed questionable for Game 1 then ruled out. He reportedly sustained the injury in practice, with the Rockets initially optimistic it wouldn’t impact the series.
That didn’t come to pass. With Durant out, the Houston offense was completely out of sync and got out-paced by a Lakers offense led by James and Luke Kennard, losing 108-97. The Rockets collectively shot 37.6% from the field with 13 turnovers.
Head coach Ime Udoka said, “Hopefully it’s a one-game thing,” in pregame after Durant was ruled out.
No first-round series has been impacted by injuries more than Lakers-Rockets. In addition to the Rockets missing Durant, the Lakers are missing their top players by points per game in Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, who have both been out since April 2.
Reaves, out with a Grade 2 oblique strain, is reportedly farther along in the recovery process than Dončić, as Reaves has begun on-court 1-on-1 work and could even make it back to the Lakers by the end of the first-round. Dončić remains out indefinitely with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
Game 2 is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.